LECTUREDEMONSTRATIONS IN GENERALCHEMISTRY.Paul Arthur, Assistant Professor of General and Analytical Chemistry, Oklahoma Agriculturaland Mechanical College. McGrawHill B w k Co., Inc.. New York and London, 1939. xvi 455 pp. 14 X 21 cm. $400. This hook is an actual laboratory manual for the lecture demonstrator in general chemistry. Specific and detailed directions for almost a thousand experiments are grouped under one hundred seventy-five headings; an extended system of cross references readilv, adaots the material to anv textbook. Often the orocedure is preceded by a brief stntcmrnt of I he rhirf principle to ire demonstrated; other rules ur theories which ran he reviewrd or inrroduced are also mcntionrd along with lahoratory operations and industrial applications. The value of the h w k is enhanced by a rather complete bihliography of articles on lecture demonstrations which have appeared in this JOURNAL and in School Science and Mathnnatics. References t o a few other journals and books are included. Experienced teachers of general chemistry should be grateful to Dr. Arthur for this careful compilation and presentation of widely scattered material. For younger teachers the haok is invaluable. The manual should prove especially worth while for those who have to offer survey courses or courses with greatly curtailed laboratory periods. I t is the hope of the reviewer that this h w k will inspire the publication in this JOURNAL of new and improved demonstrations. Attention should be called t o the companion volume. "Demonstration Experiments in Physics." edited by Dr. R. M. Sutton and published by the same company, which includes many excellent demonstrations of physico-chemical phenomena. EDWARDL. HAENIS-
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V~LANOVA, PBNNSYLVANI* A HISTORYOF CHEMISTRY.F. I. Moore, Ph.D., Late Professor of Organic Chemistry in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Revision prepared hy William T. Hall, Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Third Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1939. 14 X 20 cm. xxi 447 pages. $3.00. The third edition of Moore's hook is a great improvement aver the earlier editions. I n the second edition certain errors and infelicities of the first were rectified, and the second was interesting and sound as far a s i t went. I n the third Professor Hall has incorporated much new material, with the cesult that nothing of importance on the history of chemistry after the Middle Ages is o m i t t e d a n d the attractive textbook is probably the best within its field in the English language. Its account of early chemistrv is correct. hut still too brief. For a camolete course in the history of chemistry a second text, which treats more fully of early chemis:ry and alchemy, is ncedcd in addirion.
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INTERMEDIATR C H E ~ C A CALCULATIONS. L I. R. Partinglm, M.B.E., D.Sc., Professor of Chemistry, and Kathleen SlraUa, M.Sc., Lecturer in Chemistry, in the University of London, Queen Mary College. First Edition. Macmillan and Co., Ltd., London, 1939. x 239 pp. 2 figs. 13 X 20 cm. $1.65. The title and preface of the book imply that a course of chemical calculations is provided, "intermediate in standard between the [English] General School Certificate Examination and the examination far the B.Sc. degree"; it being generally understood that the working of numerical problems is practically indispensable t o the clear understanding of chemical principles. I n order not t o duplicate the explanatory material available in many textbooks, such material is here reduced t o a minimum. After a hrief statement of a law or principle, examples are worked out, followed by a set of problems, the answers t o which are given in the appendix. Mare difficult problems are starred, in order that they may he omitted if the scope of the course makes this advisable. The twelve chapters include such topics as the gas laws and solubility of gases; vapor density and molecular weights of gases; volumetric composition of gases and gas analysis; equivalent and atomic weights; gravimetric analysis; volumetric analysis; organic analysis; molecular weights in solution; thermochemistry; law of mass action and chemical equilibrium; electrolysis and electrolytic dissociation; equilibrium in solutions of electrolytes. The appendix contains directions for the drawing of a nomogram for the reduction of gas volumes, tables of normal densities and vapor pressures, atomic weights, logarithms, and antilogarithms. The hook should prove useful as a supplement t o classroom instruction, and its numerous problems with answers should he of value to the teacher of classes in introductory courses as well as in later courses of analytical and physical chemistry, whether or not the methods of calculation presented will be approved in all instances by the instructor. I n particular, in the chapter on volumetric analysis including oxidation reactions, those who employ methods of calculation based upon the concepts of milliequivalent weights and valence chadge may consider the procedures here recommended somewhat circuitous. An explanation of the balancing of chemical equations by the method of valence change would have been a desirable adjunct to this part of the haok. Taken as a whole. the book is to be recommended as of definite valuc, particularly as a n aid to the teacher in the assignment of home problcms and to the student in rl:arifying the principle. expounded to him in lecturer and 'recitotiuns.
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INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL ORGANICCHEMISTRY. Frederick George Mann, Trinity College, Cambildge, and Bernard Charles Snundws, Magdalene College, Cambridge. Longmans, Green and Co., New Pork City. 1939. ix 191 pp. 36 figs. 13.6 OP PYROTECENY, A PRACTICAL MANUALPOR MANUPACTURERS X 21.7 cm. $1.50. FIREWORKS, SIGNALS, FLARESAND PYROTECRNIC DISPLAVS. This manual is an abridged version of the authors' larger text, George W . Weingar;. Chemical Publishing Co.. Inc.. New PRACTICALORGANIC CABMISTRY, the second edition of which was . York City. 1939. 182 pp. 85 figs. 4 full-page colored published late in 1938. After describing methods and manipulaillustrations. 14 X 21 cm. $5.00. tion in Part I (26 pp.), directions for 42 preparations are given This hwk, which describes methods m d recipes for making in Part I? (64 pp.). Part 111 (57 pp.) describes some of the renumerous types of ikeworks in small and large amounts, unactions useful in characterizing organic compounds and Part IV doubtedly represents an important contribution t o the art of (24 pp.) gives afewmacro quantitativemethods. The appendix o ~ o t e c h n vand can he recommended a s a reference book and (10 pp.) gives directions for the preparation of reagents, first aid &de for anvhadv interested in this subiect. I t is sueeested. , information, and numerical tables. A good index is provided. however, that the hook can he made morc attractive by the usc This hrief manual is intended for students who are not proof berter paper, better illustrations, elimination of archaic tcrms, ceeding on t o more advanced work, and to provide a source of thorough revision of certain grammatical constructions and more information for certain types of examinations given in Great careful proofreading. Rritain. LEOPOLDSCEEPLAN
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